Goals
by trufflemores
Summary: 5.20 reaction fic. Post-showcase thoughts. Kurt and Blaine have come to a crossroads because Kurt wants Blaine to succeed, and Blaine wants Kurt at his side. Thankfully, the two goals aren't mutually exclusive. Klaine. COMPLETE.


**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of its characters; Ryan Murphy and Co. hold that honor. I'm simply writing this for fun, not profit.

"You were _outstanding, _June loved it," Blaine gushed, pulling Kurt aside into the mostly empty hallway and kissing him firmly before Kurt could respond. "God, I love you so much."

"Still in public, honey," Kurt reminded, not altogether unpleased as he laced his fingers in the hairs at the back of Blaine's neck, tilting his head back a little as Blaine pressed kiss after kiss to his jaw. "And I can't believe you chose _that song,_" he added, a pleased little _unf _escaping him when Blaine managed to kiss that so-sensitive spot underneath his ear. "I'm amazed she didn't walk out on us."

"That is _hardly _the raunchiest song on our playlist and you know it," Blaine murmured.

Kurt shivered at that particular friendly reminder, pinching Blaine's neck in retaliation. "Still in public," he repeated.

Blaine groaned, letting his forehead drop against Kurt's shoulder as he laced his fingers around Kurt's back, hugging him close.

Kurt looped his arms around Blaine's shoulders, holding him close and savoring the intimacy of the moment – even after the high of performing at the showcase, nothing compared to the palpable relief and joy flooding off Blaine as he held him back just as tightly.

And he knew that Blaine had gone out on a limb to include him. He knew that June could have walked out – _everyone _could have walked out – and where would it have left Blaine?

No worse off than himself, Kurt reflected ruefully. Limited connections, less opportunities, and a thousand open stages already crammed with every wannabe in the industry.

Blaine needed people like June to recognize his potential, to separate him from the rest – people with power, people with influence, people that could open doors for him and drop his name in just the right places.

He needed June, and yet he'd cast everything that she'd said aside and brought _Kurt _into the spotlight because somehow, in the crazy-wild-unplanned scheme of things, Kurt was more important to him.

"Hey, dudes, not to interrupt your moment or anything, but we're going out for celebratory smoothies," Sam interjected, arm-in-arm with Mercedes as Artie wheeled by, animatedly arguing with Rachel about something.

"Oh, no, you're not interrupting anything," Blaine hastened to assure, detaching from Kurt and offering him a slightly hazy smile, still a little dazed. "We were just – talking about how great the showcase was."

"We'll be out in a minute," Kurt added smoothly.

"Awesome." Sam tugged Mercedes down the hallway with Artie and Rachel already ahead of them, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone in their little nook just beyond the door.

"We should – catch up with them," Blaine said, making a vague gesture towards their friends as Kurt hummed and turned to face him instead. "Kurt?"

"Please promise me that you won't sacrifice your career for me," Kurt said, surprising himself but sticking to his words even when Blaine's expression fell. "You belong on a stage, Blaine. And I couldn't live with myself if I kept you from that. You always pushed me to follow my dreams and – this is me pushing you to follow yours."

"Kurt –"

"Hear me out," Kurt said, reaching for his hand and intertwining their fingers together. "I want you to succeed. I want _us _to succeed. But I don't want our relationship to compromise your success. I love you," he added softly, leaning forward to kiss Blaine's forehead because he couldn't _not,_ Blaine's eyelids fluttering shut seemingly of their own coalition. "I'm grateful for what you did. But I also want you to know that you didn't haveto take that risk for me."

"I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I hadn't done it," Blaine said simply, pulling back enough to meet Kurt's gaze and hedge a tentative smile. "Besides, it worked out for us, didn't it? Now June knows how talented we _both _are. I won't lie to avoid hurting your feelings," Blaine added, sobering. "But I won't exclude you, either. We _are _a team. And weren't you the one that said you'd rather be equals in this race than competitors?"

Kurt nodded, letting out a soft, almost sad sigh before letting Blaine tug him along towards the end of the hallway. "C'mon. I'll buy you a smoothie," he insisted, bright and beaming, and Kurt knew that Blaine would never change in some respects, that he would always be a little hopelessly predictable, grand-gestured and loving and so full of a need to please Kurt that it was barely containable at times, utterly _uncontainable _at others.

Kurt wanted him to succeed, to rise to stardom and be heard by a broader audience. And, he knew, Blaine wanted it, too, but with the sole condition that Kurt be at his side.

But sometimes compromises – even seemingly impossible compromises – were the best solutions, and sharing the spotlight was something Kurt could never turn away, not with Blaine at _his _side and an open stage awaiting him.


End file.
